Yesterday we visited a new church. The people were nice, the
sermon was nice, the music was nice. Everything was… nice. And I’ll probably
never go back.
I am chronically dissatisfied with church. I’ve been itching
at the reason for years. What am I looking for in a church that I am so
frequently disappointed? And I realized yesterday that what I’m looking for
above worship styles, and programs, and preaching talent is… God. Does God HAVE
to come to this church on Sunday or will things go on nicely without Him if he
just stays home in His pajamas?
Put another way, if I visit your church and sit in your pews
for an hour on Sunday I want to see just one single thing; one puzzling detail
that would be hard to explain apart from the existence of God and a vibrant
hope in eternity. I’m no sociologist, but it would be easy for me to explain to
you why ABC Baptist Church exists regardless of God’s existence. The pastors
get a pretty sweet deal if you ask me: a chance to do what they enjoy, influence,
respect in the community, endless accolades (“great job pastor! That really
touched me.”) Not to mention a decent wage with benefits. The volunteers get a
sense of fulfillment from doing “God’s work” and a feeling of community. The
people get entertainment, inspiration, and moral guidance to live better lives.
Let’s face it. The church in America (especially here in the
bible belt) is a totally sensible proposition. And that’s what bugs me.
Go ahead. Talk my ear off about living a life reliant on God’s
care and provision. But it’s in one ear, out the other. They say things like,
“Are you radically trusting God with your finances? Then give us your money!”
I can’t remember the last time I thought in a church, “Holy
smokes! Are you for real?? Do you
actually think all this God stuff has power?” No wait. I can remember. It was the night I felt the Holy Spirit going
gangbusters in my body. And I thought, “huh. This isn’t supposed to happen in
church!”
Anyway, 9 times out of 10, being a church is an attractive
idea for everyone involved. No need for God himself to muddy the pond. But then
again, 9 times out of 10 (depending on who you are and where you live) being a Christian is an attractive idea. And if
churches our made up of Christians, then our communities are just a reflection
of us!
So bring it back home, Nate.
If you sit down with me in my nice house in Fayetteville, GA
and we chat for an hour in front of my fireplace and I tell you about my life…
will you see something… anything that
would be difficult to explain without the existence of God and a vibrant hope
in eternity? Am I the kind of Jesus-follower who when the rubber (faith) meets
the road (life) says, “ah hell. Let’s go for it!” When nobody gets me or likes
me or wants to join my nutty adventures, can I say, “well… there’s always
heaven.” Or just, “God said it so I’ll do it.” I sure hope so.
Dating gurus will say, “don’t focus on finding the person of
your dreams. Focus on being the kind of person that the person of your dreams
deserves.” So maybe I should focus on being the kind of Christian that the
church of my dreams deserves. Or at least, when I become that person, maybe my
dream church will become easier to recognize. Or maybe it will just matter
less.
In the mean time, I’ll keep visiting churches. But to be
honest, the search has not gone well so far. Because I’ll probably never be
happy with a “nice” church.
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